University of Virginia Library

SCENE I.

The Council Chamber in the Imperial Palace.
RODOLPHO and LORENZO.
LORENZO,
The Prince Colredo, of right worthy fame,
Has prov'd himself no recreant from his blood,
And so press'd Seyfert as t'obtain a charge
Against his conduct for perfidious crimes,
Strengthen'd by some discoveries lately made,
Which have his master's virtues so alarm'd,
That in the summon'd council here to meet,
He means in person to attend the trial.

RODOLPHO.
Then must that meteor fall, that baleful glar'd
O'r all the land—whelming destruction sure
On those who dar'd t'oppose his selfish views,
And not consent to be the tools of vice.

LORENZO.
The crest fall'n traitor sees too late his error,
That he must sink as sudden as he rose,
Spurn'd by his Prince—detested by his peers,
And object of the people's universal curse.

RODOLPHO.
But, behold his judges come!

Enter Members of the Council.—COLREDO, and the other Courtiers as Auditors; the Emperor preceded by some of his Body Guards, before whom when seated, SEYFERT is brought in.
COLREDO.
Most august sov'reign of the German empire,
Tho' nought to me more grating than t'impeach,
Unless when grossest crimes compel me to it;
Which mar allegiance—and disgrace the throne;
Of all the charges, I 'gainst Seyfert urge,
The first is to have made his creatures spread
False rumours, as from me, to soil the fame
Of fair Constantia—That the duel caus'd,
'Gainst which he publish'd his forbidding edict.
The next, his having your imperial ear
Abus'd with false reports, that brave Alberti
Said, as my lot was in the field to fall,
“Beneath his luckier sword, had the Emperor
“Been there, he with repeated hostile wounds
“Wou'd have reveng'd his tyrant prohibition.
The third, his base intent upon my life,
In having me convey'd, for secret cure,
To a man brib'd by him to poison me,
And so prevent my vindicating truth,
In justly telling what Alberti said:
“Colredo, I am sorry for thy fall—
“Serve well our Prince; a better never reign'd!
Behold a charge still worse—this wicked paper
Sent to Constantia's house—the imperial name,
A forgery as must to all appear.
[The Members of the Council each view it.—The Emperor appears much agitated; one of the Council makes a sign for Colredo to go on.]
His farther hellish scheme on the succeeding
Night, was to have the widow'd mourner seiz'd,
And carried to a place for violence form'd,
To force dishonour on a hapless dame;
And then her body in the Danube thrown
As seeming by herself, through wild despair.—
From which attempt, her lucky flight had sav'd her.
The surgeon and the bravoes are without,
Ready t'attest each article I've urg'd.
The royal signing vouches its own falshood,
Say, hast thou aught in answer to me, Seyfert?

SEYFERT.
No, my death's fix'd I see!—and do expect it.
Revenge I wish'd for, and therein have fail'd;
In my own toils I'm caught, and will not plead.

THE EMPEROR.
Thou monster in our kind! thou blot of nature!
On whom ev'n hell must with amazement gaze,
To think one man can all its wickedness
Exceed—Hear then, thou villain multiplied!
Forthwith Alberti shall be brought to court,
With every honour that our state can pay
To him and his much suffering Constantia.
But on the morn of their arrival here,
Thou diest!—and till the executing hour,
Let that dire thought corrode thy ulcer'd soul—
Begone thou wretch!—Guards, snatch him from my sight.
[Seyfert is carried off.
Haste thee, Lorenzo, let no time be lost,
From Idra's Cave to bring the martyrs back,
With whom shall worthy seem of royal mercy.
If yet alive—their death's I greatly fear;
And that Alberti, through heroic pride,
Cou'd not survive the infamy of Idra.
Shou'd it prove so? endless reproach to me!
From that too common error of crown'd heads,
A weak reliance on the faith of others,
Instead of knowing all things by themselves—
Break we up council—and all hence depart.

[Exeunt.